Even today, there is a belief that height is largely determined by genetics. However, this is based on a kind of genetic determinism that underestimates the role of culture and environment in shaping physical development.New research just published in a magazine nature human behavior A team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and several cultural heritage institutions in Germany has discovered that the height differences among early Neolithic Europeans were strongly correlated with their environment, suggesting that the situation was no different today than it was thousands of years ago. It shows that it was just as complex. and cultural factors specific to that era.
The American and German geneticists and anthropologists involved in this groundbreaking study completed a thorough, multi-layered analysis of the human bones of 1,535 men and women who lived in Europe between 6,000 and 4,000 BC. Their purpose was to compare the heights of people living in the north-central, south-central, Balkan and Mediterranean regions of the continent at the time.
They specifically focused on groups belonging to the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK), which emerged from ancient Germany and flourished in northern, central, and southern Europe between 5,500 and 4,500 BC. Despite their geographical differences, the people of the LBK culture all lived in very similar ways, sharing the same technology and methods of survival. Nevertheless, in some regions there were necessarily sufficient cultural differences to influence the status of men and women and to ensure some degree of diversity among each subgroup.
Science shows that culture matters in biology, then and now
Scientists had access to large amounts of data to analyze to complete comparative studies. This includes information gleaned from the study of ancient DNA samples, measurements of chemical isotopes in bones (such measurements vary depending on diet), and determination of paleopathological conditions (individuals have limited height (Have you had any illnesses or chronic conditions?) ) and skeletal measurements to determine your actual height.
“By integrating genetic and anthropological data, we can begin to understand the contributions of genetics and environment to human diversity, and we can begin to understand the genetic, environmental, and cultural landscapes of Neolithic Europe. ,” the study authors said in their paper. nature human behavior article.
Cultural differences were observed in different study areas. (Andrei Korzits/Adobe Stock)
By combining all this data, scientists were able to calculate the relative influence of genetic, environmental, cultural, and dietary factors on each individual’s height development. Genetic information makes it possible to assess potential height, and other measurements reveal factors that may contribute to differences in addition to actual height. This data also allowed cross-correlation between people living in different regions and between men and women.
Previous research already knew that individuals who lived during the Early Neolithic period rarely reached their full potential. This is enough to show that height was not genetically determined at that time, and the aim of this new study was to find out why.
And what the researchers discovered was truly eye-opening. They live in north-central Europe, where both men and women experience high lifestyle-related environmental stresses, but despite genetic findings showing that women should reach the same height as men, I discovered that I had not reached my height. Researchers believe this indicates some kind of cultural preference, where men are given more time to recover from stress than women, and women work longer hours in a variety of jobs. It is possible that this was expected.
Cultural differences have a big impact on height
Conversely, height differences between men and women in Mediterranean populations were not as large despite the presence of the same amount of environmental stress. This must have been due to different cultural preferences, with men and women being given relatively equal amounts of time to rest and recover from the physical demands of the Early Neolithic/LBK lifestyle. It means that it must have been.
“Our analysis shows that the biological effects of gender-specific inequality may be linked to cultural effects at least 7,000 years ago, and in early Neolithic Europe. , indicating that culture, rather than environment or genetics, may have caused the height difference,” the US and German scientists said. he declared.
The main objective of this study was to compare the data collected from the north-central and Mediterranean groups in particular. The analysis of skeletal remains from the Balkans and South-Central region could be used as a control mechanism, or that similar results would be obtained if the researchers’ analytical methods were applied to other groups belonging to and living within the same culture. It was used as a way to ensure that Same time frame.
Their results showed that cultural and environmental factors also play a role in determining height in these other groups, so they believed their analytical methods were appropriate and their conclusions valid. I knew that.
New methods emerge for analyzing ancient cultures and societies
The team of scientists involved in this innovative study was thrilled with the results. Through purely physical analysis of ancient skeletons, they were able to trace differences in cultural practices that influenced differences in male and female height in early Neolithic cultures.
Essentially, what they found is that a woman’s ability to reach her full height potential is influenced by the time given to her to recover from the physical effects of a stressful lifestyle. So, in many cases, it clearly wasn’t a huge amount of time. Most of human development occurs during childhood and adolescence, so lifestyle demands clearly had an impact from an early age.
The researchers hope their methodology can be applied to other cultures and other time periods to measure the interplay of genetics, environment, and culture on different forms of physical development.
“In this study, we focused on the Early Neolithic period in Europe because of its relative genetic, cultural, and environmental homogeneity,” the researchers explained. “However, with more data, these methods could be extended to other populations, traits, and time scales to further investigate the influence of human culture on biological variation.” can be used to better understand the relationship with phenotypic plasticity. [environmental impact], culture and genetic makeup constrain the mechanisms by which human biology adapts to the environment. ”
Their call for more data acknowledges the importance of archaeologists and paleoanthropologists in advancing this type of analysis. Because their findings will allow these methodologies to be applied more widely.
Top image: A woman measuring her height. sauce: Kei907/Adobe Stock
Written by Nathan Falde